One of my favourite places in the world – Vienna in Austria – in my humble opinion and one of the most delightful for both photography and for the artist. Especially if like me you are “in” to buildings and architecture, as there are fabulous museums, palaces and grand avenues of classical elegance wherever you look.
Here as an example the entrance to Hofburg from Michaelerplatz – a painting style illustration showing the architypical facade as an impression.
Hofburg entrance
This former imperial residence in the centre of the city is a wonderful example of many architectural styles from gothic to art nouveau and it is actually quite enormous. It houses the National Library (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek), the Imperial treasury (Schatzkammer), a “Museum für Völkerkunde” or Museum of Ethnography and also houses the wonderful “Spanische Hofreitschule” or Spanish Riding School.
This particular view is the Michael Wing which was planned by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach and it serves as the connection between the Winter Riding School and the Imperial Chancellory Wing.
Here another illustration style image of the Imperial Hotel on the Kaerntner Ring. Indeed the sumptuous surroundings of the Hotel Imperial were originally created in 1863 as the Vienna residence of the prince of Württemberg. The stately palace on the magnificent Ring Boulevard was transformed into the Hotel Imperial for the universal exhibition in 1873.
The Imperial Hotel
More scenes of the city show just how marvellous this setting is for opportunities for picture making -
Here a typical entrance door into the great terraces of buildings found along the boulevards – done in a sketch pen and ink style with added colour. I’ve shown cars in the picture as the streets are full of parked cars though thankfully for the residents here, not blocking the entrance.
The apartments above are the most beautiful of residences and surprisingly quiet even in the centre of town. Heavy stone buildings and thick walls contributing much to the quality of town living – IF you can afford it!
Behind many of these impressive buildings and through these doors are wonderful inner courtyards which are a haven away from the bustle of the city streets.
In a setting such as this a great friend of mine, a piano maestro Professor of Music often plays early transcriptions of Mozart, Schoenberg or Albrechtsberger – you can hear the wonderful sounds of his ornate and beautiful 18th century keyboard as it permeates along and through the tall marbled galleries of the inner hallways – marvellous!
Makes me want to play again………………….but alas too late.
But I digress and it’s back to the endless opportunities for artistic images that this incredible city engenders.
Some additional images of the streets of Vienna -
St Peterskirche
On the left some of the shops in the city centre with the spire rising above.
On the right the very beautiful St Peterskirche which lies just off the pedestrian precinct of the “Graben” in the very centre of the city.
You can see in this image that there are Christmas trees on display to the right – these are sold directly from there every December and create a virtual forest of green in the busy thoroughfare.
Both these illustrations are a sort of coloured sketch style I find very useful for illustrating books and magazines. They give a nice coloured and artistic impression without being too photographic and I think add interest to what can often just be rather ordinary photographs of buildings.
I hope you agree.
